Fast steering mirrors are used in various applications. For example, fast steering mirrors can be used in connection with LIDAR (light detection and ranging) or LADAR (laser detection and ranging) systems. In particular, a fast steering mirror can be used to point a laser beam at a desired target. In addition, the fast steering mirror can be used to collect laser light reflected from the surface of the target. The light can then be received at a detector, and range information can be determined from the time of flight of the light. LIDAR and LADAR systems have a wide range of applications, including but not limited to three-dimensional mapping, aircraft landing, space craft docking, underwater survey, autonomous vehicle navigation, and terrain relative navigation. Steering mirrors can also be used in connection with laser communication systems, machine reading systems, tracking systems, and the like.
It is often desirable to scan a laser beam. For example, a laser beam can be scanned in a grid-like pattern in order to acquire a target or to produce a map or image of a three-dimensional target surface. However, scanning a laser beam over a surface can be a relatively slow process, due to the limitations of conventional fast steering mirrors. This is particularly true where the optical system design requires a mirror with a relatively large reflecting surface. In addition, many applications require a mirror that can be precisely controlled. Moreover, accurate information regarding the pose of the mirror relative to the laser, in order to accurately determine the location of a point or area on a surface from which a return signal is reflected in three-dimensional space, is often critical to the operation of the system incorporating the fast steering mirror.